Iraqi Voices is an ongoing collaborative mentorship program that gives Iraqis in Minnesota support and training to transform their stories into high-quality documentary video shorts. The films are written and directed by Iraqi-American participants and are photographed and edited by Nathan Fisher.

Hosted by the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project in partnership with MacHOPE (Macalester Helping Open Peaceful Exchange).

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

For the past several months, IARP has collaborated with filmmaker Nathan Fisher on Iraqi Voices, a collaborative mentorship program that gives Iraqis in Minnesota support and training to produce documentary videos. The videos tell the Iraqis’ stories of coping with war and dislocation.

All donations will be matched up to $2500 by IARP’s Board of Directors and will support our other work for reconciliation: supporting Iraqi women and peacemakers, providing clean water to Iraqi schools, arts and cultural exhibitions, and professional exchanges between Iraqis and Americans.

Give to the Max Day was created in 2009 to launch GiveMN, a collaborative venture led by Minnesota Community Foundation. In just 24 hours, Give to the Max Day raises about $14 million for Minnesota-based nonprofits every year.

All donations on November 13, Give to the Max Day, will be matched up to $2750 by IARP’s Board of Directors. Support IARP on Give to the Max Day and receive the following (all of these rewards are optional):

Donation of $25 or more: Invitation to our VIP reception on December 2nd with Iraqi refugee filmmakers, to be held at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Donation of $50 or more: The above, plus a 12×18 poster of the films, signed by the Iraqi filmmakers.

Donation of $100 or more: All of the above, plus you will receive a DVD of all of the Iraqi films (great for hosting a screening get-together with your friends or colleagues!).

Donation of $250 or more:All of the above, plus your name will be listed in the credits of the films produced by Iraqi refugees, IARP, and filmmaker Nathan Fisher.

]]>http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/transform-to-the-max-our-legacy/feed/0New series of Films by IARP and Local Iraqi Refugees to be shown at 9th Annual Twin Cities Arab Film Festivalhttp://reconciliationproject.org/2012/new-series-of-films-by-iarp-and-local-iraqi-refugees-to-premier-at-9th-annual-twin-cities-arab-film-festival/
http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/new-series-of-films-by-iarp-and-local-iraqi-refugees-to-premier-at-9th-annual-twin-cities-arab-film-festival/#commentsTue, 28 Oct 2014 00:35:34 +0000http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/?p=10699 Continue Reading »]]>

For the past 6 months, filmmaker Nathan Fisher and IARP have worked with Iraqi refugees and immigrants in Minnesota on a collaborative mentorship program to produce videos telling their stories. The guiding principle has been to allow the Iraqi filmmakers to tell their own stories and to focus on what they want to tell Americans.

A selection of the films will be featured at Mizna’s upcoming 9th Annual Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, to be held from November 6 to 9 at the St. Anthony Main Theater in Minneapolis. For more information about the festival, click here.

IARP will host an official premier of all of the films as a screening, discussion and reception with the filmmakers on December 2 at 7:00 at Macalester College in St. Paul. Watch for more information to come soon.

The filmmaking project with Iraqi refugees and immigrants builds on IARP’s previous work with Iraqis in Minnesota. To view previous books and short films produced by Iraqis, IARP, filmmaker Nathan Fisher, the Veterans Book Project, and The Advocates for Human Rights, click here.

Support for this project has been generously provided by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

]]>http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/new-series-of-films-by-iarp-and-local-iraqi-refugees-to-premier-at-9th-annual-twin-cities-arab-film-festival/feed/0IARP Welcomes Guests from Najaf in Minneapolishttp://reconciliationproject.org/2012/iarp-welcomes-guests-from-najaf-in-minneapolis-2/
http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/iarp-welcomes-guests-from-najaf-in-minneapolis-2/#commentsWed, 15 Oct 2014 20:45:34 +0000http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/?p=10690 Continue Reading »]]>IARP is currently hosting a delegation of 5 visitors from Minneapolis’ Sister City of Najaf, Iraq. The guests are here to meet with colleagues in Minnesota and explore academic partnerships. Included in the delegation are Dr. Adel Al Jawfi, President of Al Farabi Institute in Najaf; Dr. Najm Askouri, Dean of Al Farabi Institute in Najaf and MPT Director; Dr. Mahdi Al Faraoon, Dean of the Dental College, University of Al Qadissiyah, Diwaniyah; Dr. Abdul Adheem Nassar, History Professor, University of Kufa, Najaf; and Mr. Qasim Al Ameri, Journalist.

See images below of their recent activities in Minneapolis:

]]>http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/iarp-welcomes-guests-from-najaf-in-minneapolis-2/feed/0Irene Gibson shares her story: A visit with Shayma and her family.http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/irene-gibson-shares-her-story-a-visit-with-shayma-and-her-family/
http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/irene-gibson-shares-her-story-a-visit-with-shayma-and-her-family/#commentsTue, 14 Oct 2014 18:15:19 +0000http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/?p=10657*This story was written by Irene Gibson, who interned with IARP in the summer of 2013. The story exemplifies the personal ties and friendships between Americans and Iraqis that IARP supports.
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Shayma and her beautiful family, refugees from Iraq who recently arrived in Minnesota.
Shayma opened the door to the house even before I could knock. Greeting me with hugs and kisses, she eagerly introduced me to her husband, Mohammed, and oldest daughter, Ayat (16). Shayma proudly showed me around the house, and Doha (8) and Malik (6) showed me their letter books and homework. Malik brought me a small pumpkin, placed it in the fridge, and explained in detail exactly how she was going to cook it later. Eventually Shayma, Mohammad, and the oldest brother Hussein (17) sat with me to drink tea and discuss life in Minnesota.
When I tell people I visited a household of Iraqi refugees, most think of the differences: clothes, food, language. But this family wasn’t foreign to me; the familiar chaos of family life and the feeling of a home were unmistakable. Shayma attempted the impossible task of wrangling her children. Mohammed talked about looking for a job as a mechanic. Hussein worried about learning a new language in school. Ayat watched over the little ones. Ali (8) wanted to impress everyone with new words he had learned. Malik bounced around crazily and loved the extra attention. This family shared the joys of daily life, the ordinary triumphs and trials found in every family.
And yet despite the commonalities between this family and my own, I also felt the difficulties of everyday life. Children struggling in school, parents working to understand supermarkets, and other small aspects of life I often take for granted. Upon my departure Shayma made me promise I would return – largely out of kindness and caring, but also, I sensed, out of a small desperation.
Shayma had mentioned earlier that being a refugee in the US was difficult, and I empathized. Living in a new country can often be lonely and overwhelming, and so I promised to return as soon as I could. We share a great deal already. It will be my pleasure to spend more time with this family and to nurture the ties of friendship and a sense of belonging in this new place they now call home.
-Irene Gibson
]]>*This story was written by Irene Gibson, who interned with IARP in the summer of 2013. The story exemplifies the personal ties and friendships between Americans and Iraqis that IARP supports.
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting Shayma and her beautiful family, refugees from Iraq who recently arrived in Minnesota.
Shayma opened the door to the house even before I could knock. Greeting me with hugs and kisses, she eagerly introduced me to her husband, Mohammed, and oldest daughter, Ayat (16). Shayma proudly showed me around the house, and Doha (8) and Malik (6) showed me their letter books and homework. Malik brought me a small pumpkin, placed it in the fridge, and explained in detail exactly how she was going to cook it later. Eventually Shayma, Mohammad, and the oldest brother Hussein (17) sat with me to drink tea and discuss life in Minnesota.
When I tell people I visited a household of Iraqi refugees, most think of the differences: clothes, food, language. But this family wasn’t foreign to me; the familiar chaos of family life and the feeling of a home were unmistakable. Shayma attempted the impossible task of wrangling her children. Mohammed talked about looking for a job as a mechanic. Hussein worried about learning a new language in school. Ayat watched over the little ones. Ali (8) wanted to impress everyone with new words he had learned. Malik bounced around crazily and loved the extra attention. This family shared the joys of daily life, the ordinary triumphs and trials found in every family.
And yet despite the commonalities between this family and my own, I also felt the difficulties of everyday life. Children struggling in school, parents working to understand supermarkets, and other small aspects of life I often take for granted. Upon my departure Shayma made me promise I would return – largely out of kindness and caring, but also, I sensed, out of a small desperation.
Shayma had mentioned earlier that being a refugee in the US was difficult, and I empathized. Living in a new country can often be lonely and overwhelming, and so I promised to return as soon as I could. We share a great deal already. It will be my pleasure to spend more time with this family and to nurture the ties of friendship and a sense of belonging in this new place they now call home.
-Irene Gibson
]]>http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/irene-gibson-shares-her-story-a-visit-with-shayma-and-her-family/feed/0Iraqi refugees cope with horrors of war in Minnesota filmmaker’s new projecthttp://reconciliationproject.org/2012/iraqi-refugees-cope-with-horrors-of-war-in-minnesota-filmmakers-new-project/
http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/iraqi-refugees-cope-with-horrors-of-war-in-minnesota-filmmakers-new-project/#commentsSun, 14 Sep 2014 20:16:32 +0000http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/?p=10623For the past several months, filmmaker Nathan Fisher and IARP have worked with Iraqi refugees in Minnesota to help them produce videos telling their stories. The guiding principle has been to allow the Iraqis to tell their own stories and to focus on what they want to tell Americans.
The films will be featured at the upcoming Mizna Arab Film Festival in Minnesota. Watch for more information to come.
Excerpt from story, "Iraqi refugees cope with horrors of war in Minnesota filmmaker's new project" by Nikki Tundel / MPR News (full story available here):
"Zaid Alshammaa still shudders when he thinks of the day seven years ago when, half a world away, the horrors of war forever changed his world.
On what began as a typical day, he went for a haircut at his local barbershop in Baghdad. The place was a blur of scissors and shaving cream, with the constant murmur of Al Jazeera coming from the television.
Given the long line of customers, the manager suggested Alshammaa return in 10 minutes. 'So I left and just went to do shopping or something,' he said recently through a translator. 'I came back and I heard shooting.'
The then-15-year-old was almost to the door when he saw armed men head inside. 'They went in the barbershop and they killed the barber and they kill everybody there,' recalled Alshammaa, who arrived in the United States nearly a year ago as a refugee.
As would-be rescuers rushed to help, he recalled, a bomb exploded."
To read or listen to the full story, click here.]]>For the past several months, filmmaker Nathan Fisher and IARP have worked with Iraqi refugees in Minnesota to help them produce videos telling their stories. The guiding principle has been to allow the Iraqis to tell their own stories and to focus on what they want to tell Americans.
The films will be featured at the upcoming Mizna Arab Film Festival in Minnesota. Watch for more information to come.
Excerpt from story, "Iraqi refugees cope with horrors of war in Minnesota filmmaker's new project" by Nikki Tundel / MPR News (full story available here):
"Zaid Alshammaa still shudders when he thinks of the day seven years ago when, half a world away, the horrors of war forever changed his world.
On what began as a typical day, he went for a haircut at his local barbershop in Baghdad. The place was a blur of scissors and shaving cream, with the constant murmur of Al Jazeera coming from the television.
Given the long line of customers, the manager suggested Alshammaa return in 10 minutes. 'So I left and just went to do shopping or something,' he said recently through a translator. 'I came back and I heard shooting.'
The then-15-year-old was almost to the door when he saw armed men head inside. 'They went in the barbershop and they killed the barber and they kill everybody there,' recalled Alshammaa, who arrived in the United States nearly a year ago as a refugee.
As would-be rescuers rushed to help, he recalled, a bomb exploded."
To read or listen to the full story, click here.]]>http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/iraqi-refugees-cope-with-horrors-of-war-in-minnesota-filmmakers-new-project/feed/0The Muslim Experience in Minnesotahttp://reconciliationproject.org/2012/the-muslim-experience-in-minnesota/
http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/the-muslim-experience-in-minnesota/#commentsTue, 29 Jul 2014 05:12:42 +0000http://reconciliationproject.org/2012/?p=10582 Continue Reading »]]>

It’s not often that we get to learn about the journeys of people from diverse backgrounds. It’s not often that we get to walk in the shoes of our neighbors, and reflect about the growth of our community in a meaningful way.

Tracks in the Snow provides a glimpse into the lives of one of the least known and rapidly expanding populations in America and in Minnesota – the Muslim community. Join us to gain a deeper insight into the true lives of Muslims Minnesotans as narrated by themselves.

Most importantly, join us to create a conversation. Let the exhibit inform your perceptions and tell us what you think! Tracks in the Snow is a way for us to come together and redefine the narrative about Minnesota Muslims by beginning an authentic dialogue and continuing the journey.

Every year we look forward to the annual Sister Cities Day! Mark your calendar, save the date and bring the family to Sister Cities Day on Sunday, July 20th, at the Nicollet Island Pavilion.

Free ice cream social, youth international performers Songs of Hope, multicultural performances by the Sister Cities and kids activities. All for free as part of the Minneapolis Aquatennial Celebration.

All 10 Sister City Groups will be in attendance, including IARP! Come say hi at our booth.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the annual celebration cruise! The rain held off and mist came off the river at sunset, we danced on the upper deck to Arabic music… a wonderful time was had by all. Nine film makers and their families were introduced to the sold out crowd of 85 guests and Suaad Allami spoke for a few minutes about her work promoting woman’s rights in Iraq. Until next year!